In a statement accompanying the song's release, the rapper says he began working on it "a while ago." He says someone encouraged him to release it following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, but he says he knew Brown's death "wouldn't be the last." He says he's "saddened and disappointed in THIS America — we should be further along," He adds, "WE ARE NOT."

The song is available on Tidal, the subscription-based streaming music service that Jay Z owns.